Top retail stories: Fresno’s $444 steak; Costco money & politics; strong seltzer wins
The Fresno Bee has been tracking major retail developments across the region, including high-end dining debuts, award-winning beverages, downtown real estate listings, health inspection closures and a long-disputed big-box store. Here is a roundup of top retail stories shaping the local business landscape.
We assemble this list each week, so you can get caught up on The Fresno Bee’s top retail stories
A $444 steak? What’s the most expensive meal at a Fresno-area restaurant?
A $444 A5 Kagoshima Wagyu New York strip steak at Sukai inside the Table Mountain casino can push a single meal to $772 when paired with an $18 cocktail and a $300 pour of 18-year-old Hakushu Japanese whiskey, according to a roundup of the most expensive meals in the Fresno area. The Elderberry House in Oakhurst tops the list with a five-course meal that reaches $2,135 if diners add a $1,960 bottle of Burgundy. Click here for full story.
This Clovis brewery is gaining a reputation for one thing – and it’s not beer
Crow & Wolf Brewing Co. in Clovis swept the hard seltzer category at the 2026 Brewers Cup of California, winning gold, silver and bronze for the second time in three years. Head brewer Brad Gaines said the brewery’s top seller is Dark Wolf, a boysenberry and vanilla seltzer designed to taste like sorbet. Crow & Wolf also ranked No. 3 nationally in 2024 and 2025 for hard seltzers. Click here for full story.
Downtown Fresno building selling for $2.6 million. It was a bank previously
The old BMO Bank building at Van Ness Avenue and Fresno Street is listed for sale at $2.6 million. BMO closed its downtown branch in October 2025, just two years after entering the Fresno market. The six-story, 47,040-square-foot building was constructed in 1967 and features mid-century modern architecture. Click here for full story.
Fire closes taqueria, 7-Eleven in Fresno, per county’s April health inspections
A Fresno 7-Eleven and La Perla Tapatia Taqueria at Blackstone and Ashlan avenues remain closed following an attic fire in a vacant barbershop within the same shopping center. The convenience store’s back office was damaged, and the facility filled with black smoke. In total, the Fresno County Department of Health ordered eight food businesses to close during April 2026. Click here for full story.
‘Need to keep’ Costco in Fresno, officials say as disputed northwest store nears approval
Fresno’s Planning Commission approved revised plans for a new Costco at Herndon Avenue and Riverside Drive, sending the disputed $98 million project to the City Council on May 21. Officials warn the wholesale club could relocate to Madera County, costing Fresno an estimated $15 million annually in taxes. The 219,000-square-foot store would replace the aging Shaw Avenue location built in 1985. Click here for full story.
Original stories by Bethany Clough, Joshua Tehee and Erik Galicia
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence based on our own originally reported, written and published content. Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.
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